Electric-trolley-wire croasing



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E. P. BINFORD. ELECTRIC TROLLEY WIRE CROSSING.

No. 506,149. Patented 0ct;-:,3 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF C EDGAR POE BINFORD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

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SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No; 506,149, dated October 3, 1893.

Application filed November 3, 1892. Serial No.45o,ss7. on model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR POE BINFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, inthe county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crossings for Electric Wires for Street-Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1. is a side elevation of my device with the bridge open; Fig. 2. is aside elevation of the same with the bridgeclosed. Fig. 3. is a bottom plan View of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow in said figure.

Similar letters of reference indicate identical parts.

My invention relates to electric conductors for street railways; its object being to provide a crossing for two independent lines that shall enable the trolley connection of both to be maintained in constant electric contact at the point of crossing without interrupting the flow of current to the traveling motors.

In the construction and maintenance of electric trolley lines in cities where roads cross each other, one wire is continuous and its current is delivered uninterruptedly while the trolley is passing; but in the case of the crossing wire, the construction is usually such that in passing the first wire the trolley of the second is compelled to jump the space occupied by the first wire, andthe current is thus broken to the serious inconvenience to the traffic and injury to the motor when the current is suddenly re-established. I overcome this difficulty by providing a swinging bridge or switch for the second or crossing wire normally depressed and out of the way of the continuous wire and its trolley, but actuated by its own trolley into temporary position across and beneath the continuous wire to guide and maintain the passing trolley in continuous electric contact.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a block of insulating-material to which the various parts of my invention are connected.

Referring to the drawings A designates a block of insulating material, preferably of rectangular shape, at the under side of which is a cross groove or recess extending from side to sideand fitted with a metallic conducting plate F. The two wires D D of the principal conducting line are attached by metallic lugs d d to the plate F near the opposite ends, and are electrically connected through the plate F forming with it a continuous conductor. Thelwire D D may however be one continuous wire, if deemed desirable. The wires B B of the crossing line are connected tothe. block'A beneathat right angles to the first or principal line, being bent and passed upward over and through lugs'a. a on block A and are electrically connected across the top of said block by metallic loop A secured thereto by bolts or otherwise.

Hinged at 6 upon the side of the block A by the hinge c is a metallic flap or swinging bridge 0 having slotted ends, and sides turned downward as shown in the side and plan views Figs. 2 and 3. The flap or swinging bridgeO normally hangs downward by gravity as shown in Figs. 1 and 4; with thebifurcations of its hinged end passing upward at the sides of the line wire B but by contact and upper pressure of a trolley wheelZ passing along the wire B, in'the direction of the arrow; it is forced upward into the closed position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, formingabridge across the recess in the block- A, below the line wire D D. across which the trolley wheel travels upon its peripheral edges in rolling contact and between the turned down sides of the flap or bridge, as will be further described.

' The flap or swinging bridge 0 is electrically connected with the line Wire B by a short metallic connection e secured to the hinge at e so that the flap or bridge forms practically a hinged switch of the line wire B delivering the current to the trolley while the latter is in contact therewith. As already explained the flap or bridge stands normally open by gravity andis closed by the contact and passage of the trolley wheel; the trolley wheel being deeply grooved, rides upon the line wire B until the flap or bridge G reaches its closed position, when the trolley wheel, leaving the wire B rides across the recess in the block A, and in, rolling contact with the under surface of the fiap or bridge 0 until it engages with the-wire B, when the flap or bridge 0 drops back into its normal position.

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It may now be explained that the sides of the fiap being bentdownward as described, form parallel side guides to center the trolley upon the bridge 0' and to insure its proper engagement upon the wire B. These sides are lined interiorly with strips of insulating material h h to prevent electrical side contact of the trolley wheel and consequent sparking.

Hinged upon the under side of the block A at the margin of its recess nearest the wire B is a gate E of insulating material which when closed (as in Fig. 2) crosses and completely covers the recess flush and continuous with the bottom plane of the block A. The gate E stands normally open, hanging downward by gravity to'prevent it from being thrown by wind or jarring into the path of a trolley passing upon the wire D; it is provided with a spring 0 holding it steady in its open position. When open the gate E lies in the path of the flap or bridge 0, which in closing picks up and closes it. The function of this flap is that of insulation only; to pre' vent any accidental contact of metal parts or connections of the two lines while the lower trolley is passing.

In order that the action of the trolley wheel inengaging and closing the flap or bridge 0 may not be too sudden, I employ a lever O in the form of an elongated sheet metal plate, secured at one end and above to the line wire B by a hinge connection 0", and bifurcated at its free end forming jaws g g extending downward and across the horizontal plane of the wire B, passing at opposite sides and engaging the fiap or bridge C by means of hooked shape projections f f (Figs. 3 and 4) turned outward over the edges of the latter bifurcations. The hooks ff form a sliding engagement between the plate or lever O and the hinged flap or bridge 0 which enables the lever, when pressed upward by the trolley moving upon the line wire B in the direction of the arrow to move the flap or bridge C to a closed position by a more gradual movement than'could be secured by direct contact of the trolley with the flap or bridge 0 in the first instance. It will be observed that by the described connections between the flap or bridge 0 and the lever C swinging in diiferent arcs, the lever has this additional function of a catch or look to retain the flap or bridge 0 in the open position to which it normally swings by gravity.

When my invention is used for underground wires, the block A and connected parts are inverted and the flap or bridge 0 is held open by the lever O actuated by a counterweight as shown dotted in Fig. 1, and thegate E is held open by the spring 0.

The operation of my device is as follows:- The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1. the line D D is open and unobstructed to the passage of trolleys riding by rolling c011- tact of its flanges upon the plate F in passing through the recess guided byits vertical sides between which the plate F is held and maintains a constant electrical connection with its working line. The trolley passing along the wire B in the direction of the arrow,first engages by its flanges the lever O which lies inclined across its path, and by upward pressure against said lever, the trolley without losing its electrical connection with the line wire B forces the flap or bridge 0 into the closed position shown in Fig. 2. the flap or bridge 0 in said movement engaging and closing the gate E against the retractible force of the spring 0. The flap or bridge 0 being closed the trolley rolls over and upon it guided by the sides of the flap or bridge and between the insulators h h, to the line wire B. Upon being released by the onward passage of the trolley wheel, the flap or. bridge 0 falls open by gravity, the parts resume the position shown in Fig. 1. leaving the way free and unobstructed for the passage of trolleys upon the wire D D. If by any means the trolley when it reaches the lever 0, should be slightly lower and out of contact with thewire B the current is received by the trolley through the lever O as will be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

1. In a crossing bridge for electric railway conductors, the combination of the insulating block A provided with a recess on its. lower face, a conducting plate fitting in said recess for connecting the wires D, D, an insulating plate E hinged to said block for bridging the recess, and a connecting plate 0 provided with insulated depending flanges also hinged to the block A for connectingthe wires B, B, substantially as set forth.

2. In a crossing bridge for electric railway current conductors, the combination of the insulating block A provided with a recess on its lower face, a conducting plate fitting in said recess for connecting the wires D, D, an insulating plate hinged to the block Afor bridging the recess, a connecting plate 0 provided with insulated depending flanges also hinged to the block A, and a lever having one end pivoted to the wire B, and having its free end bifurcated andextendingbelow the horizontal plane of the wire B, said bifurcated ends being provided with hooks for engaging the connecting plate 0, substantially as set forth.

3. In a crossing bridge for electric railway current conductors, the combination of the insulated block A provided with a recess on its lower face, a conducting plate fitting in said recess for connecting the wires D, D, the connecting plate 0 hinged to the block A for connecting the wires B, B, and the bifurcated lever 0 having one end hinged to the wire B and its free end provided with hooks engaging with the connecting plate 0, substantially as set forth.

4. In a crossing bridge for electric railway current conductors, the combination of the insulated block A provided with a recess on its lower face, a connecting plate fitting in said recess for connecting the wires B, B the bridge piece A for connecting the wires B,

B, the hinged connecting piece 0', the bifurcated lever O hinged at one end to the wire B and having its free end provided with hooked projections adapted to engage with the connecting piece 0', the supplemental wire 6' for electrically connecting the plate 10 O with the wire B and the insulating plate E for bridging the recess in the blockAwhen the plate 0' is raised, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof-I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR POE BINFORD.

Witnesses:

J. B. BECKER, R. G. JOHNSON. 

